Breaking News: ED Seizes Rs. 1.63 Crore in Assets from Corruption Case in Jharkhand
(Judicial Quest News Network)
New Delhi 02, September 2024
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in Ranchi has provisionally attached assets valued at approximately Rs. 1.63 Crore belonging to Pramod Kumar Singh and his family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. This action, taken on August 30, 2024, is part of an ongoing investigation into corruption and financial misconduct.
The ED’s investigation was initiated following FIRs filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Dhanbad. These FIRs accuse Pramod Kumar Singh, formerly a Block Account Manager at a Primary Health Centre, of disproportionate assets and misappropriation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) funds. Singh, along with the late Shashi Bhushan Prasad, Medical Officer-In-Charge, was responsible for managing and disbursing NRHM funds.
The probe uncovered that Singh and Prasad exploited their official roles to embezzle approximately Rs. 9.39 Crore allocated to the Primary Health Centre in Jharia cum Jodapokhar. Singh unlawfully transferred these funds from multiple PHC bank accounts into his own and those of his family and associates. The investigation also revealed that Singh acquired both movable and immovable properties, which he falsely presented as legitimate.
In prior actions, the ED conducted six searches and one survey related to this case, resulting in the seizure of three luxury vehicles, cash totaling Rs. 2.17 Lakh, and the freezing of Rs. 4 Lakh from bank accounts. The investigation continues as authorities delve deeper into the financial misconduct and uncover further evidence.
